Police: Teen tortured by stun gun, vice grips after soured drug deal

Tuesday

WALTHAM - Several young men have been arrested and charged with kidnapping and savagely torturing a Waltham teen using a stun gun to the genitals and vice grips to the ears.

Several young men have been arrested and charged with kidnapping and savagely torturing a Waltham teen using a stun gun to the genitals and vice grips to the ears.

"The matter is still under investigation by police," Sgt. Tim King said yesterday. "There may be more arrests."

One of the teens charged in the attack, Luis Santiago, 17, of 5 Fountain St., was arraigned yesterday in Waltham District Court and held on $50,000 bail. He was arrested by Waltham Police on Monday.

Others alleged to have taken part in the July 22 torture session include Joseph Gemelli, 17, of 1 Kimball Court in Woburn, Ricardo Herrera, 22, of 87 Fiske St. and Melvin Jimenez of 30 Fountain St.

According to police, the 17-year-old Waltham teen went to Jimenez's home at 30 Fountain St. to deliver marijuana to a group of young men there.

The Waltham teen is alleged to have been delivering the marijuana for his friend Winston Thompson, who goes by the nick name of "Snickers," according to police.

Thompson allegedly dropped the teen off near the Fountain Street home, telling the teen if he delivered the marijuana, he would give him some free marijuana in exchange.

At the door of the Fountain Street home, the teen was greeted by Santiago, Herrera and Gemelli, who invited him inside.

Once inside a bedroom on the second floor, the teen handed over the marijuana to the group. Herrera then informed the teen Thompson owed him money. The teen then attempted to leave and was attacked.

Santiago, Herrera and Gemelli pounded the teen with their fists, police said, punching him in the face repeatedly.

At one point during the fray, Gemelli pulled out an electric stun gun and began to shock the teen on his abdomen, back and genitals while he was being beaten by Herrera and Santiago, police said.

Further into the beating, the teen attempted to leave again when Jiminez allegedly brandished a silver semi-automatic hand gun and said "you are not going anywhere."

The teen was beaten again and stunned with a stun gun for about 10 minutes, according to police.

After the second beating, the group told the teen they wanted him to trick Thompson into coming over. Herrera allegedly told the teen to call Thompson and have him come to the house.

The teen said he tried to call Thompson several times but Thompson did not pick up the phone. The teen was then beaten several more times.

At one point Herrera took a pair of vice grips and clamped them to the teen's ear, according to police. He began twisting and pulling the teen's ear with the grips demanding he get Thompson to come over.

Herrera then demanded the teen either call Thompson or lay his hands on the ground so he could smash his fingers with a hammer.

The teen called Thompson again, this time getting through to him. Thompson allegedly asked the teen if he
was "getting beat up." The teen told him he was and Thompson allegedly told him "he would not pick him up and he was sorry."

The teen was then beaten again for the third and final time by the group.

Afterward, Herrera allegedly took the teen’s house keys and told him "that if he told anyone what happened tonight they would” indecently assault his mother with a hammer.

The teen left the house and was picked up by a friend who brought him to a neighbor's house, where he cleaned and attended to his wounds before he went home. The incident was not reported to police until July 25, three days after the alleged assault.

Police observed cuts and bumps all over the teen's face and body.

Santiago, Gemelli, Jiminez and Herrera have been charged with armed robbery, assault and battery, kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, threats to commit a crime and intimidation of a witness.

They are due back in Waltham District Court Aug. 14 for a pre-trial hearing.

Herrera was arrested on Thursday. He was arraigned Friday in Waltham District Court and is being held on $50,000 cash bail.

Jiminez was also arraigned Friday in Waltham District Court and is also being held on $50,000 cash bail.
Gemelli was arrested on Friday and is being held with his bail from another case revoked.

Gemelli was also arrested earlier this year and charged with attempted breaking and entering. Because of that, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone Jr. requested Gemelli's bail be revoked for up to 60 days pending his case.

Gemelli was with a group of teens who allegedly tried to break into a building on Felton Street on Feb. 28. Police found the group with an array of tools including screwdrivers, bolt cutters and hammers.

Jeff Gilbride of The Daily News Tribune (Waltham, Mass.) can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jgilbrid@cnc.com.

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